”To this day I thank God that he gave me Pilkin. And it’s not because we won so many titles and medals together. He and I travelled a 20-year path on the edge of risk (what is gymnastics without risk?) and I never had a single injury.
Coaches often try and force training and bam!- there is an injury. All girls are different. Some have growing bones, others a weak back, and others still react in their way to over training. You have to be very careful to reach peak form. And absolutely with an individual training regime.
Grandpa had his second heart attack defending my rights to an individual workouts in front of head coach Leonid Arkayev.
So, here I am, my arms and legs and back are all healthy. And I have a son….
That’s from an excellent Couch Gymnast post – Lessons from the Russians
Boris Pilkin died last year, age-82.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 